Abstract
The lyrics to George M. Cohan’s 1917 song, Over There, aroused the patriotic fervor of a country marching off to fight in World War One. Separated by thousands of miles, the only thing that connected families to the boys over there were the letters they wrote back and forth to each other. “Californians Over There: California’s Role in World War One” is a museum exhibit that features the letters of doughboy Edward Bates to his family. The exhibit also highlights the experiences of another Californian, Colonel Nelson M. Holderman, who was a member of the “Lost Battalion” that survived six days surrounded by the Germans. This paper details the planning and fabrication process of creating the Californians Over There exhibit, which was on display from June 14, 2011 to June 1, 2012 at the California State Capitol Museum in Sacramento, California.